Risk analysis of the future implementation of a safety management system for multiple RPAS based on first demonstration flights

The modern aeronautical scenario has welcomed the massive diffusion of new key elements, including the Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), initially used for military purposes only. The current decade has seen RPAS ready to become a new airspace user in a large variety of civilian applications. Although RPAS can currently only be flown into segregated airspaces, due to national and international Flight Aviation Authority (FAAs) constraints, they represent a remarkable potential growth in terms of development and economic investments for aviation. Full RPAS development will only happen when flight into non-segregated airspaces is authorized, as for manned civil and military aircraft. The preliminary requirement for disclosing the airspace to RPAS is the implementation of an ad hoc Safety Management System (SMS), as prescribed by ICAO, for every aeronautical operator. This issue arises in the context of the ongoing restructuring of airspaces management, according to SESAR-JU in Europe and NextGen in the USA (SESAR-JU has defined how RPAS research should be conducted in SESAR 2020, all in accordance with the 2015 European ATM Master Plan). This paper provides the basis to implement a risk model and general procedures/methodologies to investigate RPAS safety, according to the operational scenarios defined by EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). The study is based on results achieved by multiple-RPAS experimental flights, performed within the RAID (RPAS-ATM Integration Demonstration) project

Risk Analysis of the Future Implementation of a Safety Management System for Multiple RPAS Based on First Demonstration Flights

The modern aeronautical scenario has welcomed the massive diffusion of new key elements, including the Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), initially used for military purposes only. The current decade has seen RPAS ready to become a new airspace user in a large variety of civilian applications. Although RPAS can currently only be flown into segregated airspaces, due to national and international Flight Aviation Authorities′ (FAAs) constraints, they represent a remarkable potential growth in terms of development and economic investments for aviation. Full RPAS development will only happen when flight into non‐segregated airspaces is authorized, as for manned civil and military aircraft. The preliminary requirement for disclosing the airspace to RPAS is the implementation of an ad hoc Safety Management System (SMS), as prescribed by ICAO, for every aeronautical operator. This issue arises in the context of the ongoing restructuring of airspaces management, according to SESAR‐JU in Europe and NextGen in the USA (SESAR‐JU has defined how RPAS research should be conducted in SESAR 2020, all in accordance with the 2015 European ATM Master Plan). This paper provides the basis to implement a risk model and general procedures/methodologies to investigate RPAS safety, according to the operational scenarios defined by EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). The study is based on results achieved by multiple‐RPAS experimental flights, performed within the RAID (RPAS‐ATM Integration Demonstration) project

Implementation and Real-Time Validation of a European Remain Well Clear Function for Unmanned Vehicles

The full integration of Remotely Piloted unmanned vehicles into civil airspace requires first and foremost the integration of a traffic Detect and Avoid (DAA) system into the vehicle. The DAA system supports remote pilots in performing their task of remaining Well Clear from other aircraft and avoiding collisions. Several studies related to the design of a Remain Well Clear function have been performed that served as input for the development of technical standards applicable to non-European countries. In this paper, a Remain Well Clear implementation is proposed that, using the results of past international projects, fits European airspace needs and specificities and can be acceptable to both remote pilots and air traffic controllers, with only minimal impact on the standard operating procedures used for manned aircraft. The proposed Remain Well Clear software has been successfully validated through real-time simulations with pilots and controllers in the loop considering traffic encounters and mission scenarios typically found in European airspace. The achieved results highlight the appropriate situational awareness provided by the proposed RWC function and its effective support to the remote pilot in making adequate decisions in conflict solving. Real-time simulation tests showed that, in almost all cases, an RWC maneuver is successfully performed, giving the RP sufficient time to assess the conflict, coordinate with the controller, if needed, and execute the maneuver. The fundamental role of the proposed RWC function has been especially evident in uncontrolled airspace classes where the controller does not provide any separation provision. Moreover, its effectiveness has also been tested in encounters with aircraft flying under visual flight rules in controlled airspace, where the controller is not informed or has less information regarding these aircraft. The results from validation tests imply two key potential safety benefits, namely: the mitigation of performing a collision avoidance maneuver and the prevention of potential conflict while not disrupting the traffic flow with possible further consequences of generating other potentially hazardous situations

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Differences between URClearED Remain Well Clear and DO-365

In 2017, RTCA published the first release of the Minimum Operational Performance Standards for UAS Detect and Avoid systems, DO-365. In 2019, EUROCAE published the Operational Services and Environment Definition for Detect and Avoid in airspace classes D-G in Europe, and in 2020 RTCA published the first update to DO-365. In 2021 the URClearED project was started to develop the requirements and capabilities for the Remain Well Clear function to be integrated in RPAS flying under instrument flight rules in airspace classes D-G. This paper discusses differences between the URClearED and DO- 365A Remain Well Clear quantification and associated alerting and guidance function requirements. Fast-Time and Real-Time Simulation campaigns have been carried out to motivate and assess the introduced differences

URCLEARED - A Unified Integrated Remain Well Clear Concept in Airspace D-G Classes

The URCLEARED project aims to support other European initiatives that have the objective to develop a Remain Well Clear capability for the integration of RPAS in the airspace Classes D-G. The project will test it in both Fast-Time and Real-Time with Human-In-the-Loop simulations

URClearED - Defining the Remain Well Clear concept for airspace D-G classes in the European airspace

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are increasingly becoming a part of our day-to-day life, and the wide range of their possible applications is creating a new industry with a large economic potential that is pushing the technological developments at a much faster pace than that for manned aviation. However, due to constraints arising from safety and operational considerations, RPAS can currently only fly in segregated airspace, making their integration in the civil airspace an unsolved challenge. RPAS have to guarantee a level of safety at least equal to that of manned aircraft. Manned aviation follows the rules of the air. The notion "well-clear" is used in ICAO rules without giving exact definition of the term. Here, rules rely on the perception and judgement of the pilot. The capability to perform RWC and DAA is required for the full integration of RPAS with General Air Traffic (GAT). To this end, several rule-making bodies are working to define the required safety and performance objectives. An RPAS needs proper mathematical definitions of Remain-Well-Clear (RWC) in order to operate safely. When implementing RPAS into civil airspace, exact well-clear parameters have to be determined. In 2013, the second FAA workshop on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) concluded that "there is a need for establishing an unambiguous and quantitative definition for well clear that can be used as a separation performance standard for an aircraft system". In 2014, the SAA Science and Research Panel (SARP) provided a Well Clear Recommendation to RTCA SC-228, which was subsequently used in the first Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems, DO-365. The URClearED project intends to define the requirements and capabilities for the RWC function of a DAA system of an RPAS operating in Class D-G airspace also interacting with VFR flights. Particularly in airspace classes F-G IFR aircraft will not receive ATC-provided separation. Different European countries may define airspace classes and rules differently. Further, the congestion of the airspace and the characteristics of the VFR traffic may complicate the situation. When crossing state border airspace class and rules may change. This paper will report the definition of scenarios and use cases selected to evaluate the RWC function under the aforementioned conditions. RWC volume and threshold selection will be evaluated in a subsequent simulation and assessment phase. Scenarios will encompass all the relevant elements under analysis. The type of encounter are a primary factor, not only in terms of its geometry but also in terms of the rules under which the conflicting aircraft are operating and the specific airspace classes involved. This will impact the roles and responsibilities of involved actors. Transitions between different classes of airspace will also be considered, including states cross-border situations

Safety and human factors implications of RPAS introduction in controlled airspace: a case study

Nowadays, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) represent the new frontier of aerial vehicles. The Air Traffic Management (ATM) system must ensure safety performances and smoothness of traffic flows, where RPAS shall be accommodated as new entrant alongside other existing airspace users, maintaining adequate levels of cooperation in a socio-technical human-machine system. The introduction of RPAS increases the complexity of this system and needs to be properly evaluated from a safety and Human Factors (HF) point of view. This paper discusses the approach and presents the results of the safety and HF evaluations for RPAS integration conducted within the European research project INVIRCAT through Real Time Simulation (RTS) campaigns performed in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands

Fast Time and Real Time Validation of a Remain Well Clear Function for Airspace Classes D to G

A relevant step in the full seamless integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in unsegregated airspace is the development of a Detect-And-Avoid (DAA) system that supports their insertion in airspace classes D to G, where the interaction of RPAS with aircraft flying Visual Flight Rules, possibly not transponder equipped, poses major challenges. These challenges mainly arise from the need to assure a level of safety, specifically against the risk of Mid-Air Collision events, as high as that currently characterizing manned civil and commercial aviation. While a DAA system last resort is represented by the Collision Avoidance component, the Remain-Well-Clear (RWC) component acts as a Decision Support System to assist the Remote Pilot in preventing collision hazards. This paper discusses the results of fast-time and real-time simulations performed to validate a prototype RWC system for RPAS integration in European airspace classes D to G. The RWC functional and operational context was defined. Fast-time simulations were used to tune RWC system parameters such as the quantification of the well-clear volume and the time-to-alert. Real-time simulations evaluated how acceptable RWC functionality was for remote pilots and air traffic controllers. Future research activities are also proposed

Preliminary validation results of a novel concept of operations for RPAS Integration in TMA and at airports

The paper describes the results of recent research activities carried out to investigate the safe integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) into ATC controlled airspace with a focus on Terminal Manoeuvring Areas (TMAs) and airports. Until today, RPAS missions require segregated airspace configurations, largely restricting their operational capabilities and economic viability. In consideration of the predicted market growth for RPAS the relevant European air traffic transport masterplans target the full integration of RPAS (and other UAS) by 2035 in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace. However, in recent years European airspace has reached its capacity limits, especially in TMAs and airports, making this resource the bottleneck of the industry. Consequently, the integration of RPAS in such kinds of airspace becomes one of the most relevant issues to be dealt with to achieve the seamless full integration of RPAS in the civil air transport system. The research activities presented in this paper started with the definition of RPAS-specific use cases, the development of a preliminary novel Concept of Operations and the technical and operational requirements related to this integration. They proceeded with the definition and the execution of a simulation test plan for the validation of this new operational concept. The validation campaign has been carried out involving aerospace research centres in the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, respectively at NLR, DLR, and CIRA. Different aspects of RPAS integration in the TMA were considered, such as latency of command & control link and voice communication link, Automatic Take-off and Landing (ATOL) operations, contingency procedures, and handover of control between two different remote pilot stations. Technical, safety-related, and human factors validation objectives were identified and then assessed through simulation experiments. Several of the previously defined use cases were selected for validation, considering a combination of both nominal and contingency situations. The validation exercises were conducted using real-time human-in-the-loop simulation facilities consisting of remote pilot station simulators, traffic simulators, and ATC simulators including tower and approach controller working positions. These facilities were used to assess the human performance of both air traffic controllers and remote pilots. Moreover, variations of equity between manned and unmanned vehicles, and runway throughput were assessed. The proposed paper describes the selection of relevant use cases, the high-level architecture of all simulation campaigns and a summary of the achieved validation results. These results are presented per validation objective and per Key Performance Area (KPA). Finally, the impact of the achieved results on the refined Concept of Operations and operational and technical requirements is discussed. The activities discussed in the paper were carried out in the context of the project INVIRCAT, co-funded by SESAR Joint Undertaking under European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, by a Consortium led by DLR and involving members of CIRA, Deep Blue, EUROCONTROL, ISDEFE, ISSNOVA, and Royal NLR